In the Most Unexpected Circumstances
by forensicsfan
Summary: A particularly difficult case serves to bring two of our CSIs together (NS)


**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I don't profit from them. As always if their publicist would just give them the message, I'd buy George and Jorja a cup of coffee.

**Author's Note:** Just a gift for my fellow Snickers. This idea just wouldn't leave me alone, so I had to let it out of its cage.

* * *

He'd fantasized about it often enough, but he never truly thought it would become a reality. But the evidence was there lying next to him, tangled in his sheets, her hair fanned out across the pillow as the slow rhythm of her breathing lulled his into perfect cadence with it.

Their shift had been particularly hellish, this sort of case was the kind that made Nick hate his job. A three year old girl had been beaten to death and what had made this case particularly repulsive was the adult sized teeth marks they had found on the child's ear lobe. During the post mortem exam, it became apparent that the young child, who had been adopted from an orphanage overseas as a one year old by a single woman, had suffered repeated abuse. An unfortunate end for a child who had started life in unfortunate circumstances.

Nick had felt physically sick as he and Sara had left the crime scene, his face was somber and he was uncharacteristically silent as they drove back to the lab. He became even more withdrawn as the shift progressed, so much so that Sara continued to look at him with a worried expression.

They were in the locker room at the end of shift and they were gathering their things to leave. So far the evidence couldn't substantiate the mother's claim that the nanny had been the one responsible for the girl's death, but they didn't have enough evidence yet to link the person that both Nick and Sara suspected; the mother herself.

As they walked out to their vehicles concern for Nick furrowed Sara's brow. She reached over and touched his arm as they neared his vehicle which was parked next to hers. "Nick, are you ok?"

Nick was struck by the sincerity in her tone and as he turned to face her, ready to deny that there was something wrong, he noticed the compassion in her eyes and something in him broke. He choked back a sob as the first of the tears came and in the next instant, Sara was wrapping her arms around him, rubbing his back and making soothing noises.

Sara felt she was merely comforting a friend until the word slipped out unbidden and she realized that she'd revealed her heart; something she'd worked very hard at keeping hidden from him. "It's ok, baby, let it on out."

As the word 'baby' registered in Nick's mind he found himself melting against her, his arms pulling her closer to him as he buried his tears in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent.

They stood there like that for a while, sure to have received at least a few concerned and sympathetic stares from the arriving dayshifters wondering what sort of hellish case Nick Stokes must have worked to make him cry like a baby, sure that soon enough they'd know enough details about the case to be thankful that it didn't happen on their shift.

Sara pulled away first, reaching up to brush away his tears. Her voice was a husky whisper and was thick with emotion as she'd shed some of her own tears. "Baby, let me take you home."

Nick just nodded, sniffling and wiping at his tear streaked face with the back of his hands.

A silence hung between them as Sara drove, as if to break it would break the moment, and neither one of them was willing to do that quite yet. Soon enough they pulled into his driveway and without a word being exchanged Sara followed him up the walkway and into the house.

"Do you want me to stay?" Her voice was almost a whisper and there was such a vulnerability in her eyes that Nick felt his heart catch in his throat for a moment.

There was so much in those words, and Nick looked at her for a long moment with a mixture of disbelief and desire before he realized that she was waiting for an answer. He reached out for her and whispered as he pulled her into his embrace. "Stay with me, Sara." There was a hitch in his voice.

If there was any question about either of their intentions, Sara removed them when she pulled back and looked into his eyes searchingly before softly pressing her lips against his.

The soft feel of her lips against his was an excruciatingly blissful sensation, and as he returned the kiss with more fervor, he found her deepening it as her tongue darted out to entice his.

It wasn't much longer before they were tumbling onto Nick's bed, tugging at clothing, and trading deep hungry kisses. Kisses gave way to caresses and as the last confines of clothing were removed and they found themselves flesh against flesh, and then bliss, sweet bliss came.

And now here they were, she was tangled in his sheets, an arm slung across his waist, her bare back partially exposed, and Nick just lay there watching her sleep. He wondered to himself how this independent woman that he admired so much had been able to walk right through the barriers that he'd erected to keep people from getting too close. In the ebbing waves of bliss as they held onto each other talking in soft whispers, he'd confessed to her his darkest moment and in that confession he'd felt a sense of relief wash over him as she pulled him closer, tears filling her eyes; she clung to him until sleep had claimed her.

As if feeling his gaze on her, Sara's eyes fluttered open and the corners of her mouth tugged upward. "Hey." Her voice was a bit hoarse.

"Hey." Nick couldn't resist touching the soft smooth skin on her back as he scooted closer to her, dipping his head briefly as he softly kissed her.

As he pulled his face away, Sara reached up and trailed her fingertips along his jaw line, concern evident on her face. "How are you?"

Nick wasn't really sure how to answer her question, instead he trailed his fingers along her shoulder.

"Are you ok?" Sara could tell that there were conflicting emotions on his face and that breaking down in front of other people wasn't something he was accustomed to. She felt honored that he'd shared his secret with her; she knew that it had been extremely difficult for him to tell her.

He smiled at her. "I'm ok, Sar. Stuff like that never completely goes away. Especially when cases like this come up."

Sara furrowed her own brow and nodded. She had her own secrets, but she had never shared them with anyone and even though Nick had opened up to her, she wasn't ready to divulge anything to anyone yet. She looked into his eyes with a determined expression. "We're going to nail her, Nick. It's just a matter of time before the evidence supports what we already know."

He pulled her close, relishing the feeling of her body pressed against his as he whispered into her ear. "Let's not talk about work right now."

She let out a deep throaty laugh that was cut off as Nick's mouth descended on hers and he rolled her onto her back, his weight pressing her body into the mattress.

Much later as they lay entwined, Nick's head resting on Sara's shoulder, his arm securely around her waist, and their legs tangled, he whispered in the darkness thinking Sara was already asleep. "I love you, Sara."

To his surprise and pleasure, he heard her voice whisper back. "I love you too, Nick."

_**The End**_


End file.
